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Original poster

Newborn held by family member with coldsore -feel terrible

16 replies

CC2839 · 18/06/2023 18:42

Hello, I feel absolutely awful. My baby is 5 weeks old and today i went to visit my family member. I passed my baby to the family member as soon as they opened the door as i was going to get things out of the car. When i came in and sat down. It appeared they had a cold sore, i took my baby off of them and now i am beside myself. I know if they did kiss him it will have been on the forehead as they know not to kiss baby's near the lips. I am petrified my baby is going to get ill as i have googled abs i know it can cause RSV even buy them touching them. Please someone tell me if they have been in anything similar i feel terrible. :( TIA

OP posts:
kernowpicklepie · 18/06/2023 18:45

I suffer from cold sores and had one not long after my DD was born. I was very careful not to kiss her and she was fine.
Usually if you are a cold sore sufferer then you know to be extra careful so hopefully they didn't kiss your baby, even on the forehead.

Barleysugar86 · 18/06/2023 18:46

For what it's worth my mum has had them all through my childhood and none of us kids ever caught them from her. And we were a huggy family! I'm sure if no mouth contact your little one will be completely fine, although I appreciate how worried you must feel because they feel so vulnerable.

Original poster
CC2839 · 18/06/2023 18:55

@kernowpicklepie @Barleysugar86 Thank you both,
I asked them and was told they didn't kiss him but i read online that even touching them after touching the coldsore can cause illness and after i taken him off them they seemed to be touching it quite a bit so i am beside myself incase they have.

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Shopper727 · 18/06/2023 18:58

Coldsores do not cause RSV? Where did you read that? I think you mean HSV-1? Whoever took and held your baby with an active cold sore should really know better to be honest. Keep a close eye on your baby and if you’re worried at all take them to be seen by a dr.

Original poster
CC2839 · 18/06/2023 18:59

@Shopper727 Yes sorry i meant HSV-1, Yes thank you for ur reply

OP posts:
Helenahandkart · 18/06/2023 19:08

please read the Kit Tarka Foundation website. They exist to educate people about the dangers of neonatal herpes, and should have info about what symptoms to look out for.
Keep a close eye on your baby and get immediate medical attention if anything doesn’t seem right, and make sure you alert them to the possibility of neonatal herpes.
https://www.kittarkafoundation.org/

Try not to worry though, just be vigilant for anything out of the ordinary.

Preventing newborn baby deaths | United Kingdom | Kit Tarka Foundation

Kit Tarka Foundation - Preventing newborn baby deaths through research and education.

https://www.kittarkafoundation.org/

Original poster
CC2839 · 18/06/2023 19:18

@Helenahandkart Thank you so much. I feel absolutely terrible and can not stop panicking

OP posts:
Singleandproud · 18/06/2023 19:29

It is incredibly unlikely your DD will get ill. I always get cold sores, it seems to be my body's reaction to stress, hormones, too much sun etc. If I didn't hold DD whilst I had a cold sore I would barely have picked her up in the first year of her life.

Yes it can be very dangerous but so can lots of other very common illnesses, many of which are more contagious before they have physical symptoms. Whilst it's OK to be concerned, if you are panicking you really need to get some perspective and relax a little otherwise you are going to have an incredibly stressful 5 years.

Original poster
CC2839 · 18/06/2023 19:36

@Singleandproud Thank you. Yeah i really need to calm down i just stress far too much.

OP posts:
Screamingabdabz · 18/06/2023 19:41

Singleandproud · 18/06/2023 19:29

It is incredibly unlikely your DD will get ill. I always get cold sores, it seems to be my body's reaction to stress, hormones, too much sun etc. If I didn't hold DD whilst I had a cold sore I would barely have picked her up in the first year of her life.

Yes it can be very dangerous but so can lots of other very common illnesses, many of which are more contagious before they have physical symptoms. Whilst it's OK to be concerned, if you are panicking you really need to get some perspective and relax a little otherwise you are going to have an incredibly stressful 5 years.

Well said! I was a mum with regular cold sores too and I didn’t have all these alarming warnings they have now. I’m pretty sure I’ll have kissed, breastfed and slept with one of my three kids whilst having a cold sore and never gave it a second thought. They were fine and all healthy young adults now.

AngryGreasedSantaCatcus · 18/06/2023 20:19

Another mum with cold sores here. DD is fine (pre teen) and no signs that I ever passed it on, much less her getting seriously ill from it.

Tbf, the number on cases in very small, and out of those the majority have caught the infection during birth.

While I agree that taking precautions and following guidelines is necessary, I honestly don't believe that being held by someone with a cold sore for a few minutes will have any negative effects (bar the serious worry it has caused you).

underneaththeash · 18/06/2023 20:36

Both DH and I have the gene that means that we lack the enzyme which give us the ability to fight off cold sores, so we both get cold sores and would have passed on this gene to our children too.
We've three children and haven't passed it on (although I've never kissed any of them on the lips) and our oldest is 17.

I really would not worry at all. There is no likely route of transmission.

WonderingWanda · 18/06/2023 20:51

Please don't panic op. I get cold sores but am fastidious about hand washing after applying cream and not touching them. I have 2 children and neither they or my dh have caught the virus from me. I never kiss people with my lips when I have a cold sore, I just sort of cheek kiss them. Fingers crossed this person is just as cautious and your baby will be fine.

CoilQuestion12 · 22/06/2023 21:35

Just to reassure you a friend actually kissed my baby ON THE LIPS with an active cold sore when she was a couple of months old.

I totally understand the panic, it was an awful few weeks of worrying, and then eventually I forgot. It was 3 years ago,no ill effects!

I know these stories are very scary but are very, very unlikely and rare scenarios. Your baby will be fine!

Original poster
CC2839 · 23/06/2023 20:39

Thank you everyone. He seems fine and it has been days so i have now stopped thinking about it. Just now i know to be a bit more alert.

OP posts:
Original poster
CC2839 · 23/06/2023 20:40

Thank you @CoilQuestion12 I am sorry that happened to you and your baby. Glad your baby was okFlowers

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